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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23881432">Love thy neighbour as thyself</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apocalyptic_Alpaca/pseuds/Apocalyptic_Alpaca'>Apocalyptic_Alpaca</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hermitcraft RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pining, Slow Burn, an absolutely self-indulgent cuddle scene, and an attempt at humour, anxiety attack, implied painful void deaths, it's a slow burn if you read it slowly enough, me inventing a totally new downside to fighting the wither, minecraft personas only!, scary Endermen, to and by mobs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 14:58:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,980</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23881432</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apocalyptic_Alpaca/pseuds/Apocalyptic_Alpaca</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Scar had expected to dislike being Grian's neighbour a lot more than he did. Not that Grian was an unpleasant person - far from it. The builder was easy to get along with: cheerful, undeniably talented, always ready to help, and most of all genuine. But still. It takes him by surpise how much he enjoys Grian's company… and he finds himself craving for more.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Charles | Grian/GoodTimesWithScar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>160</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>537</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Pesky neighbour</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for checking out this fic! Hope you'll enjoy it, even tho I'm ngl, about 60% of this fic is just scar&amp;grian interactions throughout the season so far, but rewritten with ~feelings~</p><p>both MelonWing and acc-for-hermitshipping(over on tumblr) have been a huge motivation/inspiration for me to actually start this fic, go check them out if you haven't before! also there's a scene in a coming chapter that's greatly inspired by a comic of sorts drawn by acc-for-hermitschipping, so please look out for that when it'll come eye emoji</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Scar had expected to dislike being Grian's neighbour a lot more than he did. Not that Grian was an unpleasant person - far from it. The builder was easy to get along with; cheerful, undeniably talented, always ready to help, and most of all genuine. But still. Scar remembered Mumbo lamenting his fate as Grian's neighbour in the early days of the previous season - stealing his milk, chicken bombing his base, and even threatening to take away his moustache! Back then, Scar wasn't sure what to think of Grian yet; sure, he was familiar with his building prowess, but he hadn't expected him to become such a vibrant member of their community so quickly. He always had a game to start, a prank to pull, or a Doc to antagonise. It seemed like Grian couldn't sit still, continually looking for a new source of excitement and laughs. </p>
<p>This season had been no different. Scar had set out, finding himself a cosy corner of a jungle biome before he'd been attacked by a relentless string of Zombies. Granted, Scar had been rather preoccupied with the development of his snail house, and paid little mind to the undead groaning at the foot of his heap of dirt blocks… Zombies spawned in jungle temples, didn't they? There must have been one just near enough for them to spawn, and then the Zombies would have…? travelled to where he was working? He didn't think too deeply about it, but after wave after wave of undead made its way around him, he was starting to get suspicious. When he was killed for the umpteenth time because of his subpar fighting abilities and his struggling to get his communicator out to question Xisuma about the rates of daytime spawning, he remembered another potential reason for the torrent of zombies. </p>
<p>He was not the only hermit in this jungle. He knew for a fact that Stress had set foot not too far from him, and Mumbo and Iskall resided somewhere at the edges of the jungle. But most important of all… There was a red-sweater wearing, prank-loving, mischievous hermit living very close by. Hell, he'd caught the bandit stealing some of his crops before! With that potential in mind, Scar looked around him, hoping to catch the zombies appearing from wherever Grian must have been magicking them up. A watery gurgle behind him gave another clue: Drowned did not spawn naturally in the dense jungle forest. He turned around, just in time to spot the Drowned jumping up from between the leaves of a bush. Barely dodging the swing of one of its sodden fists, Scar took out his sword and quickly slashed it apart before approaching the leaves. There, hidden between the greenery, was a hole filled with bubbling water. An underwater elevator for the undead to pop up right behind him. Scar took out his communicator, starting a message to ask Grian to end his little prank - he didn't know where the other was, and didn't feel like setting out to find him, afraid he'd return to his cleared-out field overrun with monsters.</p>
<p>Before he could send the message out, however, a new undead had sprung up in front of him, swiping him right in the chest. Hurt as he was by all the previous encounters, he felt the last of his lifeforce slipping away before the darkness surrounded him. </p>
<p>When he woke on the bed he'd haphazardly placed next to his crops and already growing chest-monster, he could hear Grian's pleased snickers bouncing around.</p>
<p>“Oh dude, this is golden! I really didn't expect you to take this long to discover my little present.” Grian's eyes shone mischievously, though he did extend his hand and presented Scar with his supplies that had been scattered at his death. “Especially that last attack… I turned off the spawner, but it looks like the Zombies couldn't resist taking a last bite out of a tasty meal like you!”</p>
<p>Scar grumbled, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed to accept his things. He readjusted his fake beard and stood up, leaning down to poke a finger at Grian’s chest. “Don't think you're off the hook here, jungler.” He grabbed his shovel and left for the multitude of dirt piles around the large sphere he was constructing.</p>
<p>“It's not much, but I am offering you access to the Zombie spawner,” Grian said, a lopsided grin on his face as he followed closely behind. “So you can regain all those levels you lost at the hands of those troublesome Zombies.”</p>
<p>Scar scoffed slightly. “Well, I don't think I would've lost them if they hadn't appeared in the first place! All this pain and confusion you caused me, jungle bandit…” He accentuated his complaint by dramatically reclining against one of the dirt pillars. Grian's grin turned into a full smile, and he giggled softly. Scar felt his chest grow warmer at the amusement in Grian's voice, and he smiled back, all annoyance forgotten at the sound of his friend's laughter.</p>
<p>“You're quite the odd case, aren't you? Who else would work out such an elaborate prank instead of gathering supplies, like most of us do this early on?”</p>
<p>“Well yes! I pride myself on providing top tier entertainment, I'll have you know!” Grian laughed, sticking his chest out in an attempt to evoke some form of regard. </p>
<p>At least his time with his neighbour was bound to be interesting.</p><hr/>
<p>“Ten thousand blocks, bro! Can you believe it? I challenge him to find a pet parrot and he arrives with a freakin' renamed chicken! But he does have the nerve to give me such a mega task, telling me I needed to dig them all out in a week!” Despite Iskall's agitated words, there was a big grin on his face when Scar found him and Grian at the doorway of Grian's hobbit hole. Grian was sitting atop a loose barrel, a parrot mask askew on his dirty blonde hair while he was listening to Iskall rambling on. </p>
<p>Grian groaned. “Ugh, don't remind me, dude! I'd tell you the task he's set me up with, it's absolutely bonkers! Mumbo doesn't do things by halves this season, does he?”</p>
<p>Scar decided he'd overheard enough, so he made his presence known before it looked like he was eavesdropping. “What kind of tasks are you talking about?” he asked. “What's Mumbo doing that has you two whining like this?”</p>
<p>“I'd tell you, Scar, but my task isn't finished yet! Far from it, actually, so I'm not spilling the beans. Professional secrecy, yanno!” Despite Grian's explanatory tone, Scar felt even more confused now. He levelled an inquiring look at Iskall, hoping he'd take mercy on him.</p>
<p>Iskall sighed. “Mumbo's started the 'Hermit Challenges', as he calls it. He's honestly just being mega annoying, even more annoying than Grian here.”</p>
<p>“Hey!” came the indignant cry.</p>
<p>Iskall continued. “Basically, he's inviting people one by one to join his new cult, provoking them into accepting a stupid task he's thought of, just so he can have fun, I suppose?” Iskall turned to Grian. “Did you set him up to this? This is the type of thing I'd expect from you, and you've always been close with Mumbo.”</p>
<p>“So have you, though!” Grian fired back. “And I'd never set him up to something as annoying as these challenges. Did you forget I got one of his stupid challenges as well? Which!” he quickly added on when he'd noticed Scar was about to question him. “I'm still not telling you about.”</p>
<p>“Aww.” Scar chuckled, and Grian stuck his tongue out at him. “Now I feel left out.”</p>
<p>“I don't know about it either, bro,” Iskall conceded. “But you better be careful around Grian now! You never know what he's been tasked with!”</p>
<p>“I'll… do my best?” Scar wasn't sure what to think of the 'Hermit Challenges', but he had heard that Mumbo was a lot less composed this season than before. Right as Iskall stood up, claiming he was going to continue working on his base, Grian grabbed Scar by the arm.</p>
<p>“Come on! Let me give you a tour of the place!” </p>
<p>Realising that an energetic Grian was a force he could not deny, Scar let himself be pulled along. He'd seen some of Grian's base already when he'd snuck in to present his revenge for the Zombie attack, but it had since then received quite the upgrade. The hermit had dug out a large part of the mountain and decorated it in neat, wooden tones. More impressive was Grian's storage system, however. Though very basic at the moment, Scar remembered his base from last season - and the disorganised mess of shulkers that could have rivalled his own. While Grian chattered away, Scar felt his own attention slip, distracted by the feel of the hand on his arm sliding down, and a soft hand clasping his. Why was Grian's hand soft? He did manual labour just as much as the rest of them, and yet his touch was… so delicate?</p>
<p>“Scar? Are you still there? Do you need a nap? Ooh, let me show you the bedroom!”  A pull on his hand shook Scar out of his stuped reverie. Up the stairs they went, and Grian showcased him his portal, bed and… standing clock. Scar felt giggles arise, but he swallowed them down to mention as inconspicuously as he could, “Well look at this grandfather clock! It's just absolutely amazin'!”</p>
<p>“Wait, you've been here before!” Grian seemed to realise his implications. “And for underhanded reasons, even!”</p>
<p>Scar couldn't hold his laughter anymore, and he snickered out loud at the look of betrayal on Grian's face. It didn't take long for him to join him in his amusement, the laughter breaking his façade.</p>
<p>When they calmed down, contented smiles on their faces, Grian turned to him again.</p>
<p>“So, are you sure you’re okay? You were kind of zoning out there, before.”</p>
<p>“Huh? Oh, yeah… Lot on my mind, lots of tasks to complete, you know!”</p>
<p>Grian didn’t seem entirely convinced, but he shrugged and made for the stairs, before casting a look over his shoulder to see if Scar was following.</p>
<p>“You’ve met professor Beak, right?”</p>
<p>“Who?”</p>
<p>A pleased glint appeared in Grian’s eyes, and he sauntered forwards, reaching an alcove in one of his walls.</p>
<p>Scar had missed it earlier, tucked away behind the corner as it was, but there was a little bird sanctuary nestled between the wooden walls. Atop a luscious bush sat a deep blue parrot, pecking at a bowl of seeds.</p>
<p>“He’s the only pesky bird allowed in my house.” Grian reached out to pet the parrot on the head, only for it to nip at his fingers.</p>
<p>“Yeah, hey, about that!” Scar exclaimed. “Don’t you think it’s kind of morbid to wear the mask of one of its brethren right in front of it?”</p>
<p>“Nope!” Grian shook his head briskly, causing said mask to slide down a couple of centimetres.</p>
<p>Scar reached out, using his hand to brush Grian’s locks away and grab the edge of the mask to push it a bit more securely on top of the blonde’s head. When he let his eyes stray down, he noticed Grian staring at him intently, dark eyes filled with an unreadable emotion.</p>
<p>“…what?”</p>
<p>“Nothing,” Grian said, his eyes drifting down before he seemed to shake himself and he grinned up mischievously. “Oh, you’d be surprised to see my collection of bird masks. I’ve nearly got one of every colour!”</p>
<p>Scar groaned. “Ugh, no need for that. I’ve already heard you get a bit passionate every time you encounter one of those poor birds.” </p>
<p>Grian only laughed impishly, before he seemed to remember something.</p>
<p>“So why'd you actually come by my base?”</p>
<p>“Ah, right!” Scar righted himself, getting his business spiel ready. “I’ve come to sell you the greatest product of all: magic crystals! I’ve imbued them with my own magical power, and I have plenty of different flavours for you to enjoy!” </p>
<p>Scar took out a barrel from his pack, setting it down and quickly filling it with the crystals he’d prepared beforehand. He extended his arms as to invite Grian to take a look. Which he did, only to glance back, nonplussed.</p>
<p>“Are you… selling a bunch of glass? Why would I need to buy these?”</p>
<p>“Why wouldn’t you buy these extremely powerful tools to help you? Come on, do my majestic robes and beard not persuade you to explore the possibilities of magical crystals?”</p>
<p>“Eh…”</p>
<p>“Thing is, I'm broke, man… I used to be the richest hermit, and now I'm struggling hard for cash! Come on, I'll even make you a good deal.” Scar pouted, hoping it would persuade the other, if only to humour him. Grian seemed torn between giggling at his face and looking peeved at his request.</p>
<p>“Scar, dude, I love you, but this is literally just coloured glass.” Despite the exasperated tone in Grian's voice, Scar couldn't help but feel warmth blooming in his chest at the words. </p>
<p>“Which is why I’ll sell it to you at the low, low price of 1 diamond per crystal! Let me see… some health boost is always useful… Oh! You can never go wrong with a luck crystal.” Pushing the blocks in Grian’s hands, Scar grinned at him expectantly.</p>
<p>“Oh, for the love of… Fine. But only because it’s you.”</p>
<p>Scar beamed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>if you enjoyed this, please feel free to leave a kudo! all comments are also greatly appreciated, be it keyboard smashes or constructed critiscism!</p><p>(please, i crave validation lmao)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Wings of freedom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A trip to the End for some much-needed wings</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm hoping this chap isn't too inconsistent! I honestly finished writing this not too long ago an i havent given myself like a night to let it sit bc i was too excited to post it... hopefully all the text reviewers i use took out the weird sentence structures (i triple check my texts bc im too paranoid i make weird mistakes, what with english not being my first language and everything)</p><p>there have been a couple of really good "amplified canon" scarian fics over the last couple of days, and wow! I love what people are doing with it? I honestly feel so blessed in this fandom as a reader... I'm hoping it doesn't get too repetitive for the reader, but yanno... i feel this is more of a "same hat! :D" situation than a pointing spiderman situation lol</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>His door had disappeared again. </p><p>The first time it had happened, it had taken him a full day to pinpoint what was wrong. He’d come home, his pack filled to the brim with materials he’d dug out of his mine, and stood confused in the doorway. As organic as his snail shell was, he’d honestly not been sure if there was supposed to be a door there. The entrance was blocks away from the ground level, so he didn’t need one for mobs, right? It was only the next morning when he’d left his house to continue working that he had his suspicions confirmed. His hand had automatically reached out to something only to meet air. Muscle memory didn’t lie.</p><p>At the moment, he was starting to get exasperated. </p><p>Who was out there, finding pleasure in taking away people’s front doors? Surely there were more productive hobbies? Unless it was another elaborate prank by Grian, but no, he shouldn’t suspect his neighbour like that so much. Sure, Grian had some gremlin-like tendencies on the best of days, but most of their fellow hermits liked a bit of pranking. He could rack his brain all he wanted over the case; unless he caught someone in the act of door-stealing, he’d be none the wiser.</p><p>Not that there was a point in worrying about it right now. Sighing in resignation, he went to craft a new replacement, only for the sound of someone climbing up his stairs to distract him. He turned around, curious to who would need his attention.</p><p>Stressmonster’s flower crown popped up over the ledge of his porch, the radiant smile on her face following soon after.</p><p>“Oh, hello there, Stress!”</p><p>“Hi, gorgeous!”</p><p>He offered his arm to pull her up, but she shook her head with a laugh and effortlessly pushed herself onto the deck.</p><p>“So what brings you to my humble abode on this fine day?” Scar kept his voice light, hoping it would divert her attention from his less than optimal mood and lack of door.</p><p>“Oh, I just finished up me villager breeder! You said you needed some, didn’t you?”</p><p>Right. Because of the valuable books and blocks the villagers sold, not a single village was left intact around his jungle - their inhabitants carted off to far-off bases to help the hermits with trading goods. Scar didn’t feel much like travelling thousands of blocks with a number of blabbering villagers in tow. Stress’s offer was a godsend. </p><p>He managed a genuine smile, now, but Stress had evidently seen his face falter before. She hugged him tightly, before stepping back and laying a hand on his arm.</p><p>“What’s going on in yer head, love?”</p><p>He chuckled sheepishly. “That obvious, huh?”</p><p>“Aw, hun…” Her voice was comforting, and she motioned for him to talk.</p><p>“I’ve been getting stuck in my mine, I feel like my mind is going around in circles and now my door is gone again! I, I just don’t know what to do.” By the end of his sentence, he was feeling rather self-conscious that all his problems seemed so insignificant when he voiced them. But Stress didn’t judge him, she just smiled warmly as she listened to him complain.</p><p>“Scar, gorgeous, you need a distraction! Go on some adventure, do something different!” Stress explained, as if the solution was as plain as that. “Maybe you can kill two birds with one stone, and get yourself some wings, eh? I remember you and Grian was talking about going end busting some time.”</p><p>That they had. He had to admit, he’d stumbled out of Larry more than once, still half-asleep, taking off from his porch only to land with a painful smack on the ground below. By now, he’d learned his mistake and placed some soft materials to cushion him, but a pair of Elytra would make his work a whole lot easier, let alone his life a lot safer. And Grian… Scar knew how much Grian missed flying.</p><p>It wasn’t a bad idea. He thanked Stress, telling he’d hit her up later to discuss villagers, before he took out his communicator and started a message to Grian.</p>
<hr/><p>It was a bad idea.</p><p>Not two seconds after he’d felt himself materialise onto the tiny End platform, Grian had shrieked that <em>he had looked at an Enderman, they weren’t safe, they’d die out there and they hadn’t even properly started their end busting</em>. Scar could barely shake off the feeling of light-headedness that accompanied dimension hopping before he saw a black blur teleport in front of him. He dove to the side, grasping his pack in a desperate search for a shield, a pumpkin, something to divert the Enderman’s attention away from them. Grian held his arms in front of him, but that didn’t deter the Enderman from taking a swing at his chest. Grian wheezed, falling backwards to the ground, the edge of the platform a mere block away from where he landed. </p><p>“G, get away!”</p><p>“I’m trying!” The words came out choked, as Grian twisted out of the way to avoid a stomp from the Enderman’s leg. The being teleported away, and Grian scrambled to his feet, his gaze darting around to try and spot it appearing back.</p><p>“Behind you!” Scar cried out, but Grian reacted too late. The Enderman, now a block of end stone in hand, smacked him square in the back, and he toppled over again. He could barely grab onto the edge of the platform, lower body dangling over the emptiness of the void. Scar's heart leapt in his throat. If Grian lost his grip, he’d… Scar had to distract the Enderman, so he threw the first item that he laid his hands on towards it.</p><p>His sword. Not the wisest of choices, but the Enderman was at least distracted enough to leave Grian alone as the weapon clattered to the floor.</p><p>But then it turned, its attention on Scar now, and scurried forward, its mouth agape in an enraged cry. Scar flinched as the static sound filled his ears and held his shield in front of him to block the coming hits. What could he do? With the Enderman focused on himself, he couldn’t help Grian, he couldn’t move from his spot… He could only hope the Enderman would lose interest in him before his shield broke and he too would be at the mercy of the being. He gritted his teeth, staggering backwards with every blow from one of its long limbs.</p><p>The static cry stopped abruptly, and Scar looked on in confusion as the Enderman jerked to the side. There stood Grian, his fists clenched as he charged forward and kicked the Enderman right in the chest. It teetered over the edge and disappeared into the darkness below.</p><p>Grian paused, his breathing heavy, before he collapsed to the ground beside Scar, throwing his head backwards and letting out a dazed laugh.</p><p>Scar could do nothing but join him, putting his arms on the ground to support himself as he giggled, his nerves still somewhat frayed. He took a moment to collect himself, his shoulders sagging as he breathed a sigh of relief. Then he stood up and shook his head at the shaking form of his friend.</p><p>“I can’t believe you just… oh, god…” Scar snorted out, holding out his arm to help Grian up.</p><p>“I know!” Grian’s laughter turned near hysterical, but he accepted Scar’s outstretched hand and let himself be pulled up.</p><p>“I can’t believe you punted an Enderman into the void.” The fear in Scar’s stomach had settled, but the concern was still gnawing at his mind.</p><p>He couldn’t help himself. He clasped his hands around Grian’s cheeks, turning his face up towards him. He leaned forward, their helmets clinking together, but he ignored it in favour of staring Grian in the eyes, searching for something, though he didn’t know what. Absentmindedly, he noticed a soft blush rising to Grian’s cheeks.</p><p>“Don’t ever do that to me again, G.” He surprised himself with how serious his voice sounded.</p><p>“Scar… Scar, it’s okay, I would have respawned anyway, you don’t have to -”</p><p>“It’s not okay! You don’t know how much it would have hurt; you’d have lost days! I couldn’t let you…”</p><p>The rest of his words died in his throat when Grian laid his hand on top of his, a soft smile on his lips.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Grian admitted. “I didn’t mean to make you worried.”</p><p>And with those soft-spoken words, with that little dimple that appeared in Grian’s cheek when he smiled, with the warmth that shone from his eyes, Scar could only breathe in relief, his worries disappearing for good now.</p><p>“Just promise me you’ll be less reckless, yeah?”</p><p>Grian turned his eyes downward, a half-hearted chuckle leaving his mouth. “We… we can go home, if you’d like? The portal should be open…” he trailed off, and Scar had half a mind to agree and leave the End to the more martially talented amongst them, but he knew Grian.</p><p>He knew his neighbour, who could barely hold his excitement at the prospect of flying again. </p><p>“Nah. We’ve gotten out of this alive, we’re getting us some wings.”</p><p>Grian’s delighted laugh was all he needed to hear.</p>
<hr/><p>It took them thousands of travelled blocks to find an End city that hadn’t been raided yet. In moments like these, Scar cursed his overachieving friends. He knew he was a hypocrite – he’d probably return later when he had wings to collect a good amount of Shulker shells for an eventual shop. Now, however, the yellow-purpur structure loomed over them, Shulkers peeking out of their boxes as a clear sign that this city had not yet been visited. He might as well take a couple of them for the trouble of the journey.</p><p>While he eased towards one of the main towers of the city, Grian took off to the ground below the ship that floated high above them, shouting a quick “I’m going on ahead!” towards him.</p><p>The city  was situated on a large stretch of land, so Scar wasn’t too worried about the dangers of the void, though with how Grian was pillaring up right now… a well-placed projectile from a Shulker could send him careening to the ground, and that wouldn’t be a pretty sight.</p><p>His mind distracted, Scar missed the Shulker in the door opening of the tower popping out of its box and shooting. The weightlessness settled in his bones, and he struggled to direct himself to the ceiling of the room before he could float up too high. Grabbing his sword, he made quick work of the Shulker before gravity took hold of him again and he dropped to the ground.</p><p>“Ow…” He grunted in pain, knowing that he’d be bruised all over if he managed to get home alive.</p><p>Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Grian had reached the entrance of the ship, so Scar decided to leave the tower be and wait for Grian to return.</p><p>Before long, Grian flew out of the ship, a brand-new pair of wings attached to his back. Scar regarded him a bit wistfully. There were few people that managed to make flying look easy, but Grian was in an entirely different league. When he soared about in the air, you'd think it was where he belonged, the flying as natural and fluid as his moving on land. Even now, after weeks of being confined to the ground, all it took was strapping the wings on and Grian took gracefully to the air like it was his second nature. </p><p>Well. The gracefulness was quickly abandoned when Grian took out his rockets and dashed towards Scar at a breakneck pace Scar'd be scared to watch anyone perform. Only a last-minute stretch of his wings diverted Grian from his route to meet the ground, pulling up and smoothly slowing down before landing. He let out an exhilarated whoop. His cheeks were tinted red from the thrill of the descent, and his eyes glittered with excitement. With Grian grinning up at him with a beaming smile, Scar could barely contain a blush from rising to his cheeks. The enthusiasm was heart-warming, but also very distracting.</p><p>“Right, so, about that second pair.”</p><p>Scar turned a questioning gaze to Grian, who had a contemplative look on his face. </p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“I’m thinking I should go and find a pair of wings for you. I’ll move a lot faster by flying than if we continued by foot, don’t you think?”</p><p>He was right. It had taken them hours to get to the city they were now, and there was no saying how far away the next unlooted city was. Still, Scar was a little uneasy at the idea of them splitting paths. His apprehension must have been visible on his face, because Grian was quick to placate him.</p><p>“Don’t worry!” he reached out and grabbed Scar’s hand with his own. “I’ll make sure I don’t look any Endermen in the eye.” The tone of his voice was soothing, but Scar noticed the playful grin that Grian flashed him.</p><p>“Whatever you say, G-man,” Scar chuckled. “But I better see you return with the most amazing pair of wings, befit of a wizard of high calibre such as myself!”</p><p>Grian laughed, letting go of his hand to press a mocking salute to his head. </p><p>“You got it!”</p><p>And with that he took off.</p><p>Scar breathed deeply, and trekked to the nearest gateway portal that they had passed on their way to the city.</p>
<hr/><p>He didn’t have to wait too long. </p><p>He’d been sitting near the fountain, careful to keep his gaze angled towards the ground, a bucket of water near him in case an Enderman decided to go crazy. A shout from the distance grabbed his attention, and he stood up, relief flooding his senses when he saw Grian approaching quickly towards him.</p><p>A little too quickly, perhaps. Grian showed no sign of slowing down, and Scar wasn’t sure if he should move out of the way, or just trust on Grian’s reflexes to not crash into the ground. His decision was made for him when Grian flew into him, picking him up as he rounded the fountain. Scar had his breath knocked from his lungs, but when he looked at Grian, the giddy laughter falling from his lips as he circled the fountain a couple more times, the strong arms around Scar’s waist holding him effortlessly, he felt his breath leave him for another reason altogether. </p><p>He couldn’t deny it any longer, could he?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I actually also really enjoy the fast-paced, energetic romances (ESPECIALLY if they contain seductive Grian.. i just die) but unfortunately i think my writing style is mostly like,, long-winded descriptions that slow down the pace a LOT<br/>maybe i should practice on a quick seductive, tension-filled fic huh?? practice my brain muscles??<br/>but no worries, i'll first finish this fic!</p><p>If you enjoyed this fic so far, do consider dropping a kudo! comments are absolutely welcomed, especially if you have some critiscism (though i will absolutely melt if you just,, tell me you enjoyed it,, i am soft)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Withering Resolve</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Scar wants to acquire a beacon, but the Wither effect is a force to be reckoned with</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>let me start with this: AAAAAAAAAAAA</p>
<p>i can't believe how incredibly sweet all of you are, i'm just,, melting, absolutely astounded, you guys are the absolute best!!</p>
<p>i'm sorry for taking longer on this chapter, i'm (unfortunately) writing these as i go and i had a lot of deadlines this week that needed my attention! uni's a bitch, lemme tell ya</p>
<p>i almost feel ive been writing more of a monster-fighting fic than a romantic one, but  don't worry, next chapter should hopefully make up for that ;) ;) ;)</p>
<p>hope y'all enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ducking behind the haphazardly placed wall of cobble, Scar stumbled slightly as he tried to catch his breath. The Wither Skeletons he was trying to hunt had already managed a few hits on him, his wounds stinging from their blackened blades coated with the withering poison they carried. He felt the effect of the poison, the way it muddled his thinking and made his limbs feel like lead. </p>
<p>The stifling heat from the nether did not help, either. He grabbed for a bottle of milk in his pack, noticing he only had one left. He chugged it down anyway, and steeled his nerves before glancing behind the wall. A group of Skeletons stood a couple of dozens of blocks away, not interested in him at the moment. Scar eyed his bow with a pensive look – he’d run out of arrows a few Skeletons ago. It wasn’t like he was a very good shot, but any distance between him and those poisoned blades was welcome. Then again, he’d rather attack them from close by and have his little hideout to retreat to if things went south, than attract their attention to his shelter.</p>
<p>He was so close, too. Two Wither skulls were already in his pack, neatly wrapped in a strip of wool so they wouldn’t break. Damn skulls had the tendency to crack and disappear into dust instead of falling clean off when he managed to kill a Skeleton. It was something everyone in their group of Hermits could agree on; collecting Wither skulls was a huge pain in the neck.</p>
<p>Yet the comfort and ease of a beacon was enough reward for the trouble it took to acquire one, and Scar was looking forward to the magical aid it brought to mining and digging. </p>
<p>Deciding the milk had cured most of his weariness, Scar rounded the corner of the wall and approached the Skeletons as quietly as he could. When the three of them noticed him, he steadily circled them, making sure no other mobs were creeping up behind him. He slashed around himself in broad swings so they wouldn’t approach. The closest Skeleton to him staggered when he hit it for a third time, before collapsing to the ground and disappearing in a puff of smoke. No skull, but Scar focused on the two remaining Skeletons. He was nearing the edge of the roof of the fortress he stood on, and the pursuing Skeletons were giving him little breathing room. He decided it was better to push through them than risk falling off of the roof. </p>
<p>He held his sword tightly in hand and pushed it in front of him, trying to shove the monsters away from him. He managed to slip through the gap between the two of them, but he didn’t move out of the way quickly enough. </p>
<p>A sharp burn spread through his arm where a sword had struck. Immediately, the wooziness was back, and Scar wobbled in place, his grip on his sword slacking. He barely had the energy to dart out of the way of a second attack, and his sword felt immeasurably heavy in his hands when he lifted it to slash at the Skeletons. </p>
<p>The second Skeleton went down, and Scar gritted his teeth before charging at the last, slicing its head from the rest of its body. Its skull dropped to the ground, intact.</p>
<p>Scar took a moment to regain his breath, his hands on his knees so he wouldn’t topple over. He didn’t have time to linger, however, so once some of his strength returned, he scooped up the skull and made for the rest of his belongings behind the wall. The empty bottles in his pack reminded him that he was out of milk – he’d have to make the trip home in his current condition.</p>
<p>He didn’t mind too much, really. His portal wasn’t too far from his base, and then he could sleep the exhaustion away. As long as he didn’t get ambushed on the way home, he’d be fine.</p>
<p>When he stepped out of his Nether portal near Larry, he made his way to the snail house as quickly as his tired legs could carry him, before standing still in front of the ladder. He pulled himself up with trembling arms and stumbled through his door, closing it behind him. Whose idea was it again to place his bedroom om the top floor of an already elevated base? By the time he reached his bed, he barely had the clarity of mind to chuck his armour into a corner of the room, before collapsing on top of the purple blankets.</p><hr/>
<p>When he woke up, it took him a moment to remember where he was.</p>
<p>Maybe his sleep-befuddled mind had played tricks on him, but he didn’t quite remember tucking himself in. Neither did he remember taking off his fake beard and wizard’s cap, that now lay on his bedside table. He pushed himself up and was pleasantly surprised at how alert and awake he felt. Must have been a good night’s sleep, then. He grabbed his things and made his way downstairs, only to notice – </p>
<p>“What in the…”</p>
<p>His door had disappeared, again!</p>
<p>Scar stepped onto the porch, looking around him in bewilderment, before soft snickering turned his attention upwards. The sun stood high in the sky, and Scar distantly wondered if the reason he felt so chipper was because he had slept half of the day away. There, lying on top of his roof, regarding him with a playful smile on his lips was Grian. The sun shone through his hair like a golden halo, and when he leaned forward to face Scar, his eyes seemed to glow with energy. He was breath-taking.</p>
<p>“What’s up, Scar? Jellie’s got your tongue?”</p>
<p>Scar managed to unglue his tongue from the roof of his mouth. “Uh, no, I’m fine.” A little breathless, perhaps, but Grian didn’t need to know that. He tried changing the subject. “I can’t help but notice I’m missing a door, though. You know anything about that?”</p>
<p>“I have no clue what you’re talking about, dude.” The fake innocence on his face looked almost convincing, but Scar had gotten mostly used to Grian’s sneaky ways.</p>
<p>Scar grumbled good-heartedly. “Don’t think your cute face will get you out of this, G.”</p>
<p>“Wha…? I don’t…” Grian stammered, a sudden blush rising to his cheeks. Scar huffed out a laugh, and Grian managed to join him after a few moments. He stood up from the ledge of the roof, and jumped down, landing softly beside Scar. Still slightly chuckling, he pointed to the ledge he had been lying on.</p>
<p>“Maybe a Zombie spawned up there, fell down, and broke it.” Even if Scar didn’t know who the real culprit was, Grian’s mischievous grin would have given him away. Whatever reason Grian had for his door-thievery, they kept dancing around the subject, almost like a game of cat and mouse.</p>
<p>He'd be more annoyed if he weren’t also slightly impressed. Grian often went out of his way to make a statement, as if to taunt that he could steal Scar's things when he was there, without being seen. Scar'd be working on the foundations of his magical village, not even 50 blocks away from Larry's entrance, and he'd return to get supplies finding his front door nabbed. Grian was never far, then, to nonchalantly walk by only to tease Scar about his lack of doors.</p>
<p>They both knew Grian was the one stealing them time after time, they both knew the other knew. And yet the way Grian so innocently denied everything, pretending to be offended at the mere idea… Scar would never admit it out loud, but he quite liked their little mind game. </p>
<p>“Who knows,” Scar mused. He glanced back to Grian, only to find him gazing at him with a certain tenderness visible in his eyes. Scar swallowed. </p>
<p>“Were you…” he tried. “Were you the one who tucked me in bed, though?” He knew it was a rather weird question, but he had his suspicions. Grian turned bashful.</p>
<p>“Well… uh, yeah.” He seemed hesitant, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. “I was kind of worried when I saw the state your room was in, and I noticed you passed out on top of your bed. I’m sorry if I shouldn’t have…”</p>
<p>“What? No, it’s fine! I’m glad I have such a caring neighbour looking out for me.”</p>
<p>This was probably the closest he could get Grian to admit he was the one stealing doors. Yet he couldn’t help the fondness growing in his chest, and he grinned widely, his eyes crinkling with mirth. Grian looked relieved at Scar’s reaction, and his expression morphed into a contented smile.</p>
<p>“Were you collecting Wither skulls?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, ran out of milk for the way back.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Grian nodded with understanding. “I keep putting that off. I’m rubbish at killing the Skeletons, honestly.”</p>
<p>“So am I, though,” Scar chuckled. “But I really need a beacon. Imagine how fast I can get my village going, with the haste helping me! It’s going to be amazin’!”</p>
<p>Grian laughed. “I bet! I’ll leave you to your noble endeavours, then, my good wizard.” He dipped his head in an imitation of a bow, and took his rockets out, before throwing one last sentence over his shoulder, smug grin on his face. “Don’t forget to install a new door!”</p><hr/>
<p>He thought he’d been sufficiently prepared for the fight.  </p>
<p>A deep-dug mineshaft, his best diamond armour, and a handful of golden apples to boot. Yet he’d died more times than he dared to admit, and it wasn’t until Grian joined him in the fight that they had managed to best the Wither. Even then, the poison had decided it wasn’t quite done with him yet, and he’d succumbed to it once more, the sound of Grian’s amused laughter echoing through the corridor when he woke up in the bed he’d placed in an alcove of the mineshaft.</p>
<p>Stepping up to the cavern that was left of the place they’d fought the Wither, Scar found Grian sprawled out on the uneven floor. With his latest death, his mind had already cleared a part of the fog that came with the withering poison, but Grian was still giggling, delirious. </p>
<p>It was cute, seeing him like that. He looked like he didn’t have a care in the world, his lips parted in that lopsided grin that Scar was starting to dream of. He could barely contain himself from reaching out and tracing the dimples it left in Grian’s cheeks. He was startled out of his trance when footsteps approached, Tango’s voice calling out to them.</p>
<p>“Uh… you guys okay?” Tango appeared in de mineshaft, enchanted sword in hand and eyes blazing.</p>
<p>“I think so,” Scar answered. “Wither took a bit more out of us than we expected.”</p>
<p>“Yeah!” Grian piped up, his words slurring together. “Scar died like, three times, an’ also I kind of blew ‘m up.”</p>
<p>Tango laughed. “Sounds like I missed out on some fun! I guess I’ll leave you guys to it then.”</p>
<p>Scar nodded in agreement, but then Grian made to stand and promptly fell over again. Tango winced in sympathy, and both he and Scar moved in to help Grian up.</p>
<p>“What’s the deal with him?”</p>
<p>“Wither effect is still active, probably.” Scar chuckled nervously. “Maybe he’s more susceptible to it?”</p>
<p>“Maybe he got a bigger concentration, you know, because he’s so tiny.”</p>
<p>“Heeey… Tha’s so rude.” Grian whined, a pout on his face, which only caused Tango to burst out laughing again.</p>
<p>“Come on, Grian, let’s get your intoxicated ass home. Might be better to let it get out of your system the natural way, my friend.”</p>
<p>The three of them made their way out of Scar’s Dwarven mine, and it was only at the crossroads that they paused. Tango turned to Scar with a sly grin on his face. </p>
<p>“Have fun napping together,” he teased, and Scar felt a deep blush rise to his cheeks. </p>
<p>“I’m not -!” He sputtered out in denial.</p>
<p>“Uh-huh, sure…” Tango only smirked knowingly, and deposited Grian fully into Scar’s hold. He left with a cloud of rocket smoke. Grian giggled in his arms. His grip on Scar’s waist was tight, yet Scar couldn’t find himself to mind. </p>
<p>“Let’s get you home, shall we?” he said, smiling down in fondness. Grian hummed.</p>
<p>“Mhm… I don’ appreciate you enough.” His words came out softly, his breath puffing against Scar’s neck. Scar shivered involuntarily, his heartbeat speeding up. Grian’s hobbit hole couldn’t come into sight soon enough, or Scar would start questioning his own sanity. </p>
<p>When they finally reached Grian’s bedroom, Scar absently noted the way it had evolved since his last visit – the room felt more lived in, decorated as it was, and he was happy to notice his grandfather clock had been cared for; the wood looked polished and the pendulum shined. He plopped Grian down onto his bed and started making his way out of the room before Grian’s voice stopped him.</p>
<p>“Aw, don’t leave yet!” He’d sat up and was making grabby hands at him. Scar swallowed, but a grinning Grian wasn’t a force he could deny. Standing up when Scar approached him, Grian threw his arms around Scar’s waist and smiled up at him. “Weren’t we s’posed to nap together?”</p>
<p>Scar’s blush returned tenfold, voice stammering as he tried to reply. “Ah, no, we, Tango just…!”</p>
<p>“C’mon, ‘m sleepy.” With a strength he hadn’t expected of the other, Scar let himself be pulled onto the bed, mind reeling when Grian threw his arm over Scar’s chest and pulled him closer. He turned his head and noticed Grian looking at him with a warm smile on his lips.</p>
<p>“You’re my favourite wizard, Scar,” he whispered. “ ’m so glad I met you.” He shuffled closer, his smile softening as he closed his eyes.</p>
<p>Scar was fine with letting his feelings go untold, he’d thought. But with Grian snuggled up against him, his blonde locks brushing against his chin, his breath in his neck, Scar had difficulty remembering the reasons he had told himself on why it would be a bad idea. He let out a breathless chuckle.</p>
<p>“I’m in deep…”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you so much for reading!! if you have any comments, questions, critiscism, anything, do put them down below!! i love u guys &lt;3</p>
<p>i'll be honest, the Wither fight part was very difficult to pace, and i ended up deleting like 1.5k words because i simply did not vibe with it, it was getting too serious and detached and im both sad and glad i deleted it, bc i'd been struggling with that scene for over 3 days but also i love what i've written now instead so! big oof&amp;yay?</p>
<p>By the way, if any of you would want to ask me a question for any reason, feel free to pop over to <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/anapocalypticalpacaiscoming">my tumblr</a> and send me DM/ask!  or just put it down here in the comments, i try to answer all of them!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Softening bonds</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Waking up from a nap with his neighbour, and an insight into the troubles of Grian's mind.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hello... I've come crawling from under a rock</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your patience for this chapter! I took a lot longer than I expected, but as you may have noticed, the chapter count has gone up by 1; the discord server provided me with fluffy content and I had to comply, hence: cuddle scene 2, electric boogaloo!</p>
<p>I will say a trigger warning for an anxiety attack in the second half of this chapter, so if that makes you uncomfortable to read, be warned! It's not very explicit, but better safe than sorry!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was the weight on his chest that woke him up. </p>
<p>He was used to having Jellie snoozing on him during a nap, her warm body a comforting presence near him to wake up to. But the warmth now felt a lot larger, like an oversized weighted blanket. He blinked his eyes open, slowly, and then blinked once more to make sure he wasn’t dreaming still.</p>
<p>It was Grian who was lying on his chest, watching him affectionately. When he noticed Scar was awake, he looked away, only to return his gaze a mere moment later, his lips quirking up in a soft smile. </p>
<p>“Uh… good morning?” It’s all Scar’s scrambled brain could manage at the sight of Grian lying on top of him, his eyes alight with a tenderness that made Scar’s skin tingle. </p>
<p>Grian giggled, the look on his face morphing into a more teasing one. “More like good afternoon. The sun’ll be setting soon, I’m pretty sure.” </p>
<p>He moved his hands from where they’d been resting under his chin, to lay them lightly on Scar’s upper arms. Scar couldn’t help but twitch at the sensation, his muscles tensing up in surprise. Grian quickly moved his hands away again, worry marring his face.</p>
<p>“Sorry, I shouldn’t have-”</p>
<p>“No, it’s fine! I was just surprised.” In his hurry to apologise, Scar couldn’t help but reach out to Grian’s waist, settling his hands on the small of his back, before pulling them away quickly when he’d realised what he’d inadvertently done. Grian let out a startled laugh, sounding slightly breathless.</p>
<p>“We’re both idiots, aren’t we?” The teasing grin on his face was back, and Scar allowed himself to laugh alongside him.</p>
<p>When he calmed down, he glanced back towards Grian. “Are you feeling better, then? The Wither’s out of your system?”</p>
<p>Grian groaned. “Ugh, is that what it was?” Scar raised his eyebrows, but Grian already continued. “Yeah, I’m good now. It took me a moment to remember where I was when I woke up, though! You make an excellent pillow, by the way.”</p>
<p>Scar flushed, but Grian seemed content, there, lying on top of him with a small smile on his lips, rather than fully teasing. Oh, it was so easy to like Grian, the way he would make sure he was alright, the way he’d laugh away the awkwardness Scar brought on, the way his smile made Scar’s heart soar in his chest… Scar wished he could reach out and press a kiss to that grin, feel the way his lips would curve against his own.</p>
<p>Instead, he settled for lightly prodding Grian in the sides, so he wouldn’t have to deal with the warmth climbing up his spine. Grian, unexpectedly, shrieked and tried to wiggle away from Scar’s fingers. A mischievous grin grew on Scar’s face. </p>
<p>“Ooh,” he crooned, “are you… ticklish?”</p>
<p>“Am not!” Another prod caused Grian to squirm in place, a half-hearted glare on his face as he tried to sound threatening. “You fiend! I’ll kick you!” Despite his words, he was giggling madly, and Scar continued his ministrations until Grian was getting red in the face.</p>
<p>“Ha! Would you look at that! The mighty Grian made powerless with simple tickles!”</p>
<p>Grian shrieked, and slapped a hand over Scar’s mouth to make him shut up. Scar, the mature adult that he was, licked it.</p>
<p>“Did you just-” Grian pulled his hand away, a look of disbelief on his face. He pushed himself up, straddling Scar, and now Scar could definitely not help the blush rising to his cheeks, but he stuck his tongue out at Grian, nonetheless.</p>
<p>Grian seemed to be struggling for words, switching between looking incredulous and impressed. Finally, he leaned forwards, bracing his arms against the mattress next to Scar’s head. </p>
<p>“Just you wait, Scar, I’ll get you back.” His words came out whispered, lower than usual, and Scar shivered involuntarily, but he couldn’t tear his gaze away from Grian’s eyes, burning into his with their dark intensity.</p>
<p>They reached a stalemate as they stared at each other, unmoving, until the beeping sound of their communicators startled them both. Grian reached out to grab his, located on the bedside table as it was, before realising the position he was in, quickly climbing off Scar and giggling nervously.</p>
<p>Immediately, Scar missed Grian’s comfortable warmth, but he pushed the thought aside and slowly sat up, reaching for his own communicator. </p>
<p>The message was considerately long, and Scar could already feel the words dancing in front of his eyes. He groaned softly.</p>
<p>“Rather imposing message, isn’t it?” Grian spoke up. “It’s Cleo. She’s saying the headgames will be moving into the next stage soon.” Then, he laughed, the sound a little startled.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“No, it’s just… she’s describing it as a search for <em>carnage</em> and <em>bloodshed</em>… Cleo’s rather ominous when she wants to be, isn’t she?” He let out an amused chuckle.</p>
<p>“Ominous? Grian, Cleo is ominous all the time. I don’t think I’ve ever known her as anything different than <em>vaguely threatening</em>.” Grian burst out laughing. Scar, too, smiled, but then frowned when he realised what that meant. “Sounds like the headgames will be a lot more PVP-involved, though…” He sighed, though it was mostly just for show. “Ah, and here I was, thinking I could have a chance at the diamond pile!”</p>
<p>Grian looked contemplative, until a big grin appeared on his face. “Why, my dearest wizard. Why don’t we… team up?”</p>
<p>
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</p>
<hr/>
<p>
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</p>
<p>He counted the diamonds deposited in the barrel in front of his chestmonster shop; a solid 45 diamonds to add to his name. He might not be a big-time capitalist this season around, but it was still nice to have a steady income and not have to mine for diamonds quite as often. Not that he minded the occasional grind – his Dwarven mine was an important asset to Operation Aquathunder after all, but he much rather preferred building and socialising than the lonely digging.</p>
<p>Leaping off the hill his shop was situated on, he glided down to the pathway between the rest of the shops. Scar rather enjoyed taking a stroll around the Cowmercial district – he was forever impressed with the amazing builds his fellow hermits could come up with. He neared the centre of the district, ready to take the portal home when he spotted a red sweater-wearing figure out of the corner of his eye. He might as well take the opportunity to chat with his favourite neighbour. Scar felt a grin grow on his face and he called out to Grian.</p>
<p>“Hey, G-man!” Grian turned to him, a half-hearted smile showing on his lips as he waved back, before he turned around again, focused on the tiny barge in front of him.</p>
<p>Scar stepped closer. Grian was surrounded with shulkers, the barrels on the barge – if you could even count it that, it was the size of a glorified raft – all opened and empty-looking. It was a rather modest build, from what he was used to from Grian, but he’d been busy with his gigantic mansion, so Scar couldn’t really blame him. </p>
<p>When he neared the other, ready for some playful banter, he was instead greeted with the image of a tired Grian, dust and sand all over his outfits as he flitted from box to box. Grian barely spared him a glance, quickly returning to his shulkers. His hands were shaking as he kept opening and closing them to transfer their contents. </p>
<p>“G? Is… everything alright? You’re looking a bit…”</p>
<p>“No, I’m fine,” Grian tried, his voice wavering just a little. “Just exhausted is all.” Sure, the bags under Grian’s eyes were proof enough of that, but there was something in the way he held himself, in the way his usually cheerful grin didn’t quite reach his eyes.</p>
<p>“Grian… are you sure you’re -”</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah! I just need to finish restocking this, I’ll be fine!” It was an easy dismissal, and Scar had half a mind to let it go, to trust Grian’s promise that he would be fine. Yet the way his lip had wobbled slightly when he tried to reassure Scar had him worried.</p>
<p>“G, you’ve been out all day collecting sand and gravel, you deserve a break. C’mon, your clients can wait a little longer, you need a nap.”</p>
<p>Grian flinched. “I’m not… this is the only thing I am good for, I just need to…” He stopped himself, turning away from Scar’s worried face.</p>
<p>“What are you talking about?”</p>
<p>“No, no, it’s nothing, I’m just imagining things, I’m not -” Grian sounded so unsure of himself at that moment, and Scar wanted to do nothing other than wrap him in a hug, but he wasn’t sure how much the other would appreciate that right now. Instead, he carefully laid a hand on his shoulder, applying a gentle pressure to reassure him that he was there for him.</p>
<p>“Grian, whatever you’re worrying about, I’m sure I can help.” </p>
<p>That seemed enough for Grian to yield. “I mean, aren’t I just pushing myself onto people? I’m annoying you all, aren’t I? These things, these blocks, they’re the only thing I can help with, I don’t mind grinding, and if I can help others with them, isn’t that great? I don’t mind doing it, I don’t…” His words came out shaking, his breathing ragged as he turned towards Scar.</p>
<p>So this is what he’d been worrying about. His words cut deep into Scar, leaving a bitter aftertaste in his mouth. He couldn’t possibly believe they thought about him like that, did he? Yet the way Grian was trembling slightly, his eyes glossy with unshed tears at his admission convinced him that he did. </p>
<p>“Grian. Take a deep breath, listen to me.”</p>
<p>“I’m annoying you, too, no? I mean, I started off this season with having you killed!” he choked out. “I’m always pestering you! I just can’t -”</p>
<p>“Grian… Grian, look at me.” Scar reached out and cupped his cheeks, lifting Grian’s head to meet his eyes. The moment they met his own, a first tear escaped Grian’s eyes, and he took a shuddering breath.</p>
<p>“Good. You’re good.” Scar tried to calm his own nerves and think of the best way to distract Grian. “Follow my lead, okay? Breathe in when I do, and breathe out.” Grian took another shuddering gasp, but he tried to copy Scar in his breathing.</p>
<p>“Breathe in… breath out, alright? Good, you’re doing amazin’!” Grian managed a watery smile at that. His breathing turned a little more stable, the occasional hiccup still escaping him.</p>
<p>“Hmm… Do you want to tell me about something different? Can you tell me about how professor Beak has been doing?” When Grian remained silent, Scar brushed hid thumb over Grian’s cheek, wiping away the tear tracks left from before. He worried he was going too far, but the way Grian leaned into his touch reassured him. Grian took a small step forward and wrapped his arms around Scar’s waist, pressing his face in his t-shirt.</p>
<p>With how close he was holding him, Scar was sure Grian could hear the way his heart was hammering in his chest. Swallowing the lump that was forming in his throat, Scar tried again.</p>
<p>“You don’t have to speak, you can just nod or squeeze me, okay?” Grian remained still for a moment, before nodding against his chest.</p>
<p>“Okay, good… So, has Beak been a good bird recently?” A small nod. “You know,” Scar mused. “Maybe we should have Larry meet Beak. I’m sure they would become great friends.” Another nod. “Then again, Larry is absolutely great, isn’t he? Professor Beak should be honoured of getting to know such an accomplished snail, you know.” Grian didn’t nod this time, only squeezing Scar a little tighter, but when he shook, Scar realised it was with laughter.</p>
<p>“He’s… he’s not the one with professor in his name, is he now.” Grian’s voice was still thick with emotion, slightly rough, but the amusement in it was clear. Scar couldn’t help but chuckle out loud.</p>
<p>“You got me there, G-man! My enormous snail, nought but a fraud!” Grian giggled softly, and Scar felt his heart surge at the sound. He reached up, tangling his hand into Grian’s dirty blonde locks, and pressed his face in his hair, swallowing thickly.</p>
<p>“You’re okay, alright? You mean so much more than that to us.” He pressed a kiss to the top of Grian’s head. “You mean so much more than that to me.”</p>
<p>“I… I know.” The words were almost whispered, as if Grian was afraid to pronounce them. “It’s just… easy to forget from time to time…”</p>
<p>“You can always come to me if you need reassurance, okay?” Scar admitted. Mentally, he tensed up – what a confession that was! But Grian didn’t seem deterred or discouraged, though he did push away slightly to look up at Scar’s face.</p>
<p>“Scar, I…” Grian spoke. “I want you to know something, but…” He seemed to be searching for words, before shaking his head lightly and melting right back into Scar’s chest.</p>
<p>“Grian?”</p>
<p>“You… You mean a lot to me as well.” He murmured. “More than I could have ever thought possible.”</p>
<p>Scar felt the affection soaring through his veins, spreading a mellow warmth throughout his body, and he closed his arms around Grian again, carding his fingers through his hair while Grian hummed softly against the skin of his neck. There they stood, pressed close together, until everything felt just a little better.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you so much for reading this story!! I've said it last chapter, but I cannot believe the support I'm receiving for the story... you are all SO SWEET!!!!! INCREDIBLY!!!! I MELT!!!!!</p>
<p>As usual, if you have any comments, criticism, remarks, do let me know! I love reading what u guys think uwu</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. A winning combination</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The finale of the headgames draws near, and with it comes the need for Scar to finally declare his feelings</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter could be summarised as the following:<br/>Scar: fuck it I simp on main now<br/>Grian: God <em>finally</em> I don't know how much more clear I could make my flirting</p><p>Also, hi, I've made y'all wait a good 2 months, but here I am! With hopefully a Grand Finale! I could give a whole list of reasons for the delay, ranging from university exams, a new job, a honest to dog addiction to minecraft, but in the end I just procrastinated writing and went for the quick pleasure instead. Story of my life, I'd say. </p><p>I hope you guys will enjoy this finale to the fic. It's utter fluff and sweetness, probably cavity-inducing, even I was regularly blushing at my own writing! I hope it manages to be the heartwarming and fluffy end this fic deserves!<br/>(also I am just about crashing right now so I might slightly edit this tomorrow... take out some mistakes if I spot them... proofreading? don't know her)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I got Ren's head!" </p><p>Scar looked up from his stonecutter and turned towards the sound. There, in the doorway of his snail, stood Grian, a wide grin on his face as he held out a mask with Ren's features. </p><p>"That's a hundred point-bounty for us!" He stepped inside, putting the mask back in his pack. Coming closer, he eyed the stonecutter with a mischievous look on his face. Scar wasn’t sure if he should ask why Grian was checking out the rotating blade the way he was. His curiosity won out in the end.</p><p>“So how’d you get Ren’s head this time?” Grian’s giggle was positively impish, and Scar swallowed, suddenly connecting the dots. “Poor Ren… This is the second time you’ve offed him like that!”</p><p>"Oh, Scar," Grian snickered. "Don't be jealous! You know your face is the only one I want to keep seeing every day." Scar felt himself flush at his words, and when he dared a peek at Grian's face, he found that Grian was looking at him with a fond smile on his lips, instead of the teasing grin he had expected.</p><p>“I do hope you won’t go through those measures for me…” he muttered, looking away in the hopes of hiding the blush he could feel rising to his cheeks.</p><p>Grian let out a huff. “Why would I, when I have the opportunity to see my favourite wizard every day? A mask wouldn’t do you justice, you know.” By the tone of Grian’s voice, Scar could have deduced was pouting, if it weren’t for the blood rushing in his ears at hearing him say those words so plainly. Grian had been a lot more forward in his teasing, and Scar loved the rush it brought, but he also dreaded the moment he would blurt out his feelings. He kept biting his tongue, else he’d spill how those words, those little confessions made him feel. How he wanted for Grian to tell him time and time again that he wanted to see him, that he considered him his favourite. </p><p>If he thought about it, it had probably started when they lured Bdubs to their guillotine. The trap itself had been an adventure, the playful act of the candy trail, and Bdubs excitedly following along – gods, how he liked the ease at which the Hermits were able to let loose, formalities nowhere to be seen as they interacted.</p><p>Not to mention the way Bdubs’s face had contorted when he had finally noticed the guillotine they’d been leading him to. It had been hard enough to keep their laughter in up until then, but Bdubs’s little <em>oh</em> took the cake. They hadn’t been able to continue for a solid ten minutes, doubled over in hilarity, clutching each other to keep themselves from falling over.</p><p>It wasn’t until Bdubs had sighed, almost exasperated, and muttered just too loud for them not to hear that they’d been able to snap out of it.</p><p>“Are you lover boys quite done?”</p><p>Scar had clicked his mouth shut, swallowing the rest of his giggles. Was that how the others perceived them? Well. One look at Grian’s face, still red because of their laughing bout, though his smile held an edge of embarrassment, told Scar that, in all truthfulness, he didn’t mind the thought of them being lover boys. At all. Grian had met his eyes, and despite his previous seeming unease, grinned in that lopsided way that Scar liked so much. </p><p>No. He didn’t mind the thought at all.</p><p>But they had lured Bdubs to Scar’s village grounds for a reason, and it wasn’t for him to make Scar mentally admit his feelings. It was for a mask of Bdubs’s head, as Grian had stated that he was worth a lot of points, seeing as he was ‘one of those people that didn’t sign up for the occasional friendly murder’. It was rather ingenious trap, if not a little grotesque, and with Grian having proudly donned his executioner’s outfits and cut the rope holding up the anvils, it only took Scar a couple of sword swings before Bdubs disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving a mask with his features in his wake. </p><p>Scar had picked it up, pressing it in front of his face to see how the others would react. </p><p>“Wow, you look so handsome!” Bdubs had exclaimed, the sincerity in his voice throwing Scar off for a second.</p><p>“Why thank you!” Scar had responded, not thinking, and it wasn’t until Grian sniggered that he had realised he was still wearing the mask. “Wait… Hey!” Bdubs had burst out laughing, and Scar wasn’t sure to feel relieved or annoyed when Grian joined him. He pouted.</p><p>“Aw, don’t feel bad, Scar!” Grian had been quick to add when he’d noticed Scar’s expression. “Your face is just too distracting! If it weren’t for your wizard’s beard or this mask here, I’d never get anything done. I’d be stuck staring at you, all day long!” He winked, flashing his signature mischievous grin. </p><p>“Get a room, you two…”</p><p>Scar hadn’t even heard Bdubs’s words, caught up as he had been staring at Grian, who’d turned a soft pink under his gaze. </p><p>He wasn’t wrong to hope, was he?</p>
<hr/><p>Scar liked to think he could keep a clear head when he was working on terraforming. Once he got his mind set on the terraining, on the way the hills he was designing were supposed to flow, on the peaks and jagged edges of the cliffs he built, reality tended to fade away as he worked in what could be considered a trance. </p><p>The placing of the blocks and slabs was perhaps a monotonous task, but the hours flew by in a blur and when he stepped back after hours of work, he was always quite content with how his work turned out. There was no shame in taking pride in his handicraft. It was a tedious job, but damn if he didn't enjoy the grind, and damn if he wasn't great at it. </p><p>So while terraforming was a rare occurrence for most other hermits, he quite enjoyed the hours of mindless work. Still, it was a rather lonely job. He didn't often have company while he was working on his terrains, seeing as most hermits would find it rather boring to watch someone place slabs and dirt blocks for hours on end. </p><p>But, well. Grian wasn't like most hermits, was he? </p><p>The only reason he noticed Grian was keeping him company, was because he found him sprawled out like a cat on the mess of shulkers that was his temporary storage when he went to grab some supplies. Grian had taken off his red sweater, revealing a short-sleeved, black tee. </p><p>Scar could only mentally nod in agreement - he himself had taken off his wizard robe before starting his work, else the thing would be drenched in sweat because of the humidity and the jungle heat. He glanced around, looking for the purple robe, but he couldn't spot it. Maybe he'd left it inside? </p><p>"What are you up to, Scar?" Grian's voice startled Scar out of his thoughts. His voice was a little rough at the edges, as if he'd been dozing and his voice was still hoarse with sleep. It was adorable, and Scar couldn't help the smile he felt growing on his face. </p><p>"Nothing much, G! I'm prettying up these parts, need the village looking magical, don't I?" </p><p>Grian giggled. "Oh, Scar, everything you make is absolutely magical!" Despite his lopsided grin, Grian's tone of voice was warm, and he looked up at Scar with appreciation shining in his eyes. </p><p>"Oh, geez..." Scar tried to swallow down the butterflies, diverting the topic, hoping Grian wouldn't notice the waver in his voice. "Could you scoot over? I need to grab some more coarse dirt." </p><p>Grian yawned, languidly, before rolling over onto the other shulkers, revealing his crumpled-up sweater, and Scar's robe. Scar was about to question it, before Grian stretched, reaching out to the clothes and grabbing them. He bunched them up and hugged them to his body, blinking up innocently at Scar. </p><p>"Something the matter?" </p><p>Scar swallowed. He knew he shouldn't keep thinking his neighbour was so cute. Grian was so much more than that. He was strong, he was talented, he was thoughtful, kind, caring... But every time he smiled at Scar, the dimple in his cheek a clear sign of his mirth; every time he relaxed around him, with his soft voice and even softer touches, Scar felt a surge of tenderness. </p><p>It didn't help that ever since Scar had comforted Grian in the shopping district, Grian had turned about ten times more affectionate. He'd greet him with a tight hug, snake an arm around his waist when they stood side to side, always stood a little closer than before, his body a comfortable warmth next to him when the hermits met up. Scar found himself seeking out the contact, but there was still a voice in the back of his head nagging that this was just how Grian was. That maybe he only now for comfortable enough around Scar to turn affectionate. </p><p>Scar had half a mind to go question Mumbo about it, but he was afraid that he was just misinterpreting everything. That Grian really was this touchy-feely with everyone, and Scar only now noticed it because he'd realised his own feelings. </p><p>"Scar?" Once again, Grian's voice pulled him out of his musing. He'd sat up, the sweater and wizard robe discarded on the shulkers behind him, and looked up towards him, barely hidden concern visible in his eyes. He moved to stand, but Scar quickly put his hands out to placate him. </p><p>"I'm fine! Daydreams are getting the best of me, these days!" Scar giggled out, and Grian was quick to join him.</p><p>"Well, if you're certain," Grian chuckled out. "Don't let me pull you away from your hard work!" He settled back onto the shulkers, legs crossed and arms stretched behind him to support his weight, a lazy grin on his face as he looked on. </p><p>Rooting in the now uncovered shulker boxes, Scar grabbed a packfull of dirt and coarse dirt and set back out to the back of his village, casting a last look over his shoulder towards Grian. His relaxed smile felt like a beacon, shining brightly and filling Scar with an emotion he was hesitant to name, and yet Scar was sure he was wearing a love-sick grin right then. </p><p>He'd long come to terms with his feelings by now. There was no point denying them, after all. Not a day went by where he didn't think of Grian, he didn't look forward to the next time they'd meet up, he didn't melt when that radiant smile was directed at him. The thoughts filled his head when he was busy with menial tasks, like he was now, and the knowledge that Grian was there, not even a hundred blocks away, keeping him company even through his silent presence, was warming him to his core. Even if he'd never speak his feelings out loud, never confess what Grian meant to him, he would still endlessly treasure their friendship. </p><p>Slowly but surely, Scar made his way through the hillsides of his magical village. Where they before were jagged and unnaturally formed, he'd now softened them to a gentle slope, clearing out places for future crop farms and new shrubbery. He stopped, looking back at the terrain he'd already worked on. Some of his block placing looked too uniform, the rows of grassy dirt and rough, coarse dirt too organised to look natural. Now, if he'd just shovel around at random, and then replace the blocks, he'd surely reach a more organic gradient, wouldn't he? But what if – </p><p>He didn't have time to ponder it too much when Grian's voice cut through his inner debate, pulling him away from his thoughts for the third time that day. </p><p>"And here we see the refined Good Times With Scar in his natural habitat. A truly thoughtful specimen indeed, wouldn't you say, doctor Jellie?" </p><p><em>Doctor Jellie?</em> Scar whirled around, stopping in his tracks when he noticed Jellie, curled up in Grian's lap as she was, Grian slowly scratching her behind the ears. She looked so content, lying there, that Scar felt a pang of jealousy, but he wasn't sure about whom. Jellie mewled, the sound almost too soft for him to hear, and Grian cooed in response. </p><p>"Right you are, Jellie! Astute observation! Scar is indeed an absolutely talented individual!" He looked up from Jellie, grinning in Scar's direction. "Isn't she the cutest?" </p><p>"She sure is," he admitted. Truth to be told, the scene of the two of them was exceptionally cute as well, but he was almost certain Grian wouldn't appreciate the sentiment. Who likes getting told they're adorable? So he settled for plopping down next to them, close enough to hear Jellie chirping under Grian's masterful touch. </p><p>The shulker boxes were a surprisingly comfortable seat, and Scar could see the appeal of taking a nap right there, in the warm afternoon sun. For a second, he felt like a cat himself. Did he want Grian to run his fingers through his hair, murmuring sweet words to calm him down? He wasn't sure. </p><p>Unconsciously, he reached out for Jellie as well, stroking the top of her head. She slowly blinked, purring just a bit louder, and he relaxed, sagging forward until he was resting against strong shoulders. Grian hummed. The sound reverberated through his chest, and it wasn't until Grian raised his hand, lightly touching the side of Scar's jaw, that he realised he was practically collapsed on top of Grian. </p><p>He froze, hand mid-pet on top of Jellie's head, unsure of what to do. It didn't matter, though. A mischievous giggle was all the warning Scar got before Grian scooped Jellie up and climbed onto Scar's lap, slinging an arm around his shoulders. </p><p>"See? This way Jellie is within petting distance!"</p><p>Scar wasn't sure he actually knew how to form words, let alone sentences. He wordlessly reached for Jellie’s soft fur again, feeling the way it glided between his fingers as she resumed her purring. It wasn’t until Grian curled himself closer, resting his head against Scar’s collarbone, his warm breath just barely sensible against the skin of his neck, that Scar’s brain snapped back to existence.</p><p>“Wait… couldn’t you just have put her in my lap?” He looked towards Grian, who pouted up to him.</p><p>“Now where’s the fun in that?” Grian huffed. “This way you get to snuggle Jellie, and I get to snuggle you and Jellie!” He slid his arm down, resting it around Scar’s waist, squeezing a little closer. “I missed you, dude… You’ve been collecting blocks for days and I’ve barely seen you around. Can we stay like this just for a little while longer?”</p><p>Scar took a shuddering breath. He hadn’t realised his resource-gathering had affected Grian that much, and even if he didn’t already want to keep Grian close, he would never say no to comforting him. So he brought his hand back up, smoothing down some of Grian’s unruly cowlicks as Grian hummed in response.</p><p>“Maybe we should just take a nap…” Scar whispered out. Jellie seemed to agree, tucking her legs closer to herself as she closed her eyes. Grian, too, chuckled as he leaned closer, pressing his weight a little more firmly onto Scar’s chest. The sun brought a comfortable warmth, and soon enough, Scar could feel himself calm down, and soon he too dozed off.</p>
<hr/><p>The cowmercial district was almost eerily silent in the early morning hours. The sun hadn’t fully risen yet, and the sea brought a chilly breeze that had Scar shivering in his half-dressed wizard get-up. He was glad no mobs spawned on their shopping district – he wasn’t sure he would hear a mob approaching over how loudly his teeth were chattering. </p><p>Still, he waited patiently for Cleo to show up, as she'd told him to meet her at the headgames quarters as early as he could.</p><p>His mind wandered to Grian. The other was probably still fast asleep, after spending most of the night at Cleo's arena for a final showdown. He'd been strangely thrilled to participate in the fight, the enthusiasm clear in his mannerism as he strategized with Scar over ways to defeat his then yet unknown opponents. Scar had only been able to smile, helpless not only on the topic of advanced combat, but also in the way Grian's eyes shimmered with excitement, and the way his voice dipped low when he promised Scar he'd win some points for them. </p><p>It had taken Scar some expert acting to hide the way those words had made him feel. If he wasn't sure Grian would never deliberately ridicule him, he'd have thought that Grian was mocking his feelings, affected as Scar was by his voice, and the way his hand had lingered on Scar's arm when he'd spoken his promise oh so soft, like a sweet secret between them. Scar wasn't ashamed to admit he'd dreamt about that moment, later that night, only in his dream Scar had acted on whims, and pressed Grian closer to him, letting his fingers trace the curves of Grian's jaw, and feeling the words spoken again in their low intensity against his own lips, as he'd swallowed the sound in the kiss he'd pressed against that grinning mouth.</p><p>Well. The blush rising to his cheeks was a way to keep himself warm on the chilly morning. He turned around, moving to the centre of the platform next to the pile of diamonds, and hoped that the meagre shelter the pile would bring would help keep him out of the wind. Grian would have scolded him, and then rummaged in his mess of an ender chest to pull out a woollen blanket to hand to Scar. It wouldn't have been the first time, after all, that Grian had turned so <em>thoughtful, caring, and he really needed to stop thinking about his neighbour now before he'd lose his composure again, he was waiting for people, damnit!</em></p><p>Luckily, the distant sound of rockets managed to help shake him out of his reverie. Scar watched on as Cub approached, his ornate Pharaoh costume glistening in the early morning sun. Cub smiled broadly when he noticed his previous partner, landing a little roughly, before clapping a hand on Scar's shoulder. Scar stumbled forwards beneath the force, but laughed, nonetheless. </p><p>"Scar, my friend! Good to see you, good to see you!" Cub's jovial laugh was the same as always, and Scar was glad for the friendly company to distract him from the cold, amongst other things.</p><p>"Same to you, Cub. It's a shame you live so far away, it's been far too long, hasn't it?"</p><p>"That it has!" </p><p>They lapsed into a comfortable silence. After a short while, Cub, too, shivered, when an inland breeze blew by them. They may have both changed into a gaudier outfit this season, neither of them was particularly well-dressed for the cold. It didn't quite matter as much in their respective biomes, the jungle and desert were warm after all, but the hilly Mooshroom island surrounded by a cold sea wasn't an ideal location for their lack of warm clothing.</p><p>"Cleo sure is making us wait, I don't know why I came so early," Cub grumbled. "It's mostly formalities anyway, everyone knows you and Grian are going to win."</p><p>Scar tilted his head. "You think so?" He hadn't really kept up to date with their points, but Grian had said he'd managed to fulfil his fair share of bounties from the board. Scar hadn't kept still either, collecting and buying mob heads whenever the opportunity arose. Yet, he hadn't been awake to greet Grian back last night, so he didn't know how the arena battle had turned out.</p><p>Cub exhaled. "Yeah, Grian won one of the matches yesterday. Not that you needed the thousand points, I think you guys were ahead enough to win, eyes closed." </p><p>Scar giggled. "Well, I wouldn't know. I wasn't really paying attention to the scoreboard that much." Inwardly, he felt a warmth racing down his spine, Grian's words from the previous day echoing in his head. He had promised he'd win them some points, and he did. </p><p>Hurried footsteps brought him back to the present. </p><p>“Oi, what’re you two doing standing in the cold, there!” Cleo shouted, arms full of maps and books as she trudged up the stairs. “Don’t tell me you’ve been waiting here all morning!”</p><p>“Well…” Scar let out, not wanting to admit to it, though a sudden shiver betrayed how the cold had affected him.</p><p>“You poor sap!” Cleo exclaimed. “Now get your asses over to the pile so we can get this head business over with!”</p>
<hr/><p>They’d won. Grian and him had won. By a landslide, even, it seemed, through their grind and cooperation and bounty hunting and <em>Grian winning a game for them</em>… Scar was ecstatic, and he couldn’t wait to get home and tell Grian the good news. To see the elation in his eyes, to hear the way his excited laughter would bounce around the room…</p><p>But he didn’t need to wait. A yelled ‘Scar!’ was all the warning he got before a red blur barrelled into him, almost knocking him off the ground. The blur took form and Scar found himself with an armful of Grian.</p><p>“Oh, dear,” Cleo mumbled. Cub chuckled next to her, the map drafts in his hands forgotten as he watched the scene in front of them.</p><p>Grian had wrapped his legs around his waist, and Scar quickly held Grian closer to him, lest they’d fall over from imbalance. </p><p>“Did I hear that right? Did we win the contest? Did we get the prize?” Grian’s excited voice was delighting, and Scar couldn’t help but laugh out loud alongside Grian.</p><p>“We did!”</p><p>“Scar! We won!” Grian’s arms around his neck were a comfortable warmth, and Scar found himself leaning closer into the embrace, nose almost touching Grian’s.</p><p>”Scar?” Grian’s eyes drifted to his lips, and Scar felt his breath hitch. If he leaned just a bit closer… He sighed, realising how easy it all seemed, now.</p><p>“Grian, may I kiss you?” The words left his mouth before he had time to overthink them, hanging in the air like a ribbon waiting to be cut in half. This was it, now. It could come crashing in his face, or – </p><p>“Yes,” Grian breathed, and he surged forwards, pressing his mouth against Scar’s in a crushing kiss, tightening his arms around his neck and legs around his waist, and all Scar could think about was Grian, Grian, Grian…</p><p>When they inevitably parted for air, Scar’s head was spinning. Grian’s hands had migrated to cup his cheeks, and he was thumbing the side of his jaw while Scar was still trying to work out his thoughts.</p><p>He decided he wanted to experience that again, so he leaned forward, pressing his lips against Grian's for a second time, and he got a pleased hum in return.</p><p>“For fuck’s sake, get a room, you two,” Cleo’s grumbling interrupted them, though there was a small smile tugging at her lips. For a moment, Scar was embarrassed, but then he looked away from Grian’s burning eyes, past Cleo’s half-hidden grin and saw Cub, his long-time best friend, stand and face the two of them, with a truly joyous look on his face. </p><p>He didn’t need to feel embarrassed. The man he’d been pining after for all these weeks had kissed him, had closed the last of the distance between them, breaking down the mental walls Scar had made out of precaution, out of fear, out of shame. He’d pushed past all that, to gently treasure Scar under all those layers, proving to Scar himself that he <em>was</em> worthy of him, worthy of Grian. Oh, how he cherished him. How he cherished the man in his arms, his smile as blinding as the beam of a beacon, his eyes as bright as a morning sun. How he cherished Grian.</p>
<hr/><p>The flight home was a silent one, but not uncomfortably so. They’d been through so much; a silent travel home was more than enough for the two of them.</p><p>And yet Scar couldn’t help the worries gnawing inside his mind, tumbling over each other and threatening to drown him, the closer they came to his base. </p><p>He had forced himself onto Grian, hadn’t he? He’d selfishly pushed his feelings onto the other, forcing him into a kiss he didn’t want, didn’t <em>need</em> to receive.</p><p>Through his tumultuous state of mind, he hadn’t noticed they’d reached the front of his snail, and the way Grian was looking up at him, concern visible in his eyes. He stepped closer, bringing his hands up to glide them past Scar’s arms, and despite everything, Scar shivered under the touch.</p><p>He stilled when he noticed Grian, mere centimetres away from his face. </p><p>“Are…” Scar tried.</p><p>“Hm?” Grian hummed, a slow smile spreading on his lips again.</p><p>Scar struggled to get his words out, before he bit his lip and tried again. "Are, are you sure it was okay for me to kiss you?"</p><p>Grian giggled, the air ghosting across his lips. "Yes, Scar. It was absolutely okay to kiss me. In fact," he added. "I quite enjoyed it..."</p><p>This time, when Grian leaned forward, it took a second of hesitation before Scar joined him, meeting his lips for the third time that morning. It was still as soft and yet exhilarating as the first times, and Scar thought, when Grian sighed into the kiss, that he couldn't wait to find out how their hundredth kiss would feel, how sweet and gentle he would-</p><p>A sudden sting jolted him from his musings, and when Grian softly eased his tongue across the place he'd bitten, Scar felt his face warm up, a feverish heat that had him break the kiss, pulling away to rest his forehead against Grian's.</p><p>"Too much?" Grian whispered.</p><p>"No..." Scar responded. "You just...surprised me, is all." He took a moment to catch his breath, but when he looked up, Grian's little lopsided smile in view, he couldn't help himself and dove in again, capturing Grian's lips. This time, Grian was the one who gasped, and Scar took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, noticing the way Grian's hand tightened in his hair, and the feeling had his head spinning. </p><p>When they parted again, Scar's heart was beating out of his chest, and Scar didn't quite know if he wanted to lean in <em>again</em>, or turn away to hide his head. He was sure the uncertainty must have been visible on his face, because Grian smiled and pressed a chaste little kiss against the tip of his nose. Scar couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. The way Grian's hair was mussed, his lips bright red and dark eyes burning with yearning... Scar tugged Grian closer, pressing his face in the crook of his neck, and Grian automatically circled his arms around Scar, holding him tight.</p><p>"Hey, G?" He breathed out.</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>He swallowed, and for a moment he worried his voice would break, so he kept his lips pressed against Grian's neck, searching for his earlier bravado. </p><p>“I… I’m in love with you.”</p><p>For a moment, neither of them moved, until Grian pulled away, only to come closer and press his forehead against Scar’s.</p><p>“Finally, Scar…” Grian said, voice a little wobbly, and Scar noticed the relieved expression on his face when he dared to look away from the ground. “I’ve been wanting to tell you I feel the same for ages!” He leaned forward, pressing a ghost of a kiss to his lips, and continued, lips still featherlight against his. “I’m in love with you, too.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Whew. It might have taken me three months, but this is probably one of the longest fics I've ever written (I know it's not <em>that</em> long, but cut me some slack, the longest continuous text I've written before this was my bachelor thesis, and this fic has double the amount of words). Thank you so much for being along for the ride, if you started reading from chapter 1, or if you started reading this fic just now... I'm just,, so glad you guys seem to enjoy this, so happy to have you here, so blessed by all the kudos and oh, so sweet comments! I couldn't have finished this without your support &lt;3 (and especially a big thank you to ThatOnePufferfish... they gave me quite the kick in the ass, just what i needed to get my stuff together and actually finish this fic! ;) )</p><p>I think i've definitely learned my lesson; I am not posting multichapter fics anymore if I don't have the majority written or at the very least planned out!</p><p>BUT! I can promise those who'd be interested in reading more of my writing, that I have multiple stories planned! Most of them are oneshot-esque in length, but I have a GZIT longer fic that I am itching to work out :)c I've also been considering to post the deleted scenes from this fic -  those include the Wither boss fight scene that I ended up deleting, and two kissing scenes that could have been - maybe I'll put them as a second fic in this series. Let me know if you'd be interested in reading those!</p><p>And with that, I bid you all a temporary adieu, and hope to see you guys soon in my future writings! (or check out my 2 other works!)</p>
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